Search Climate Insights Directory
2,154 results
Aviation and Sustainability
This 2004 policy paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that the rapid growth of global aviation is unsustainable due to its significant contribution to climate change and local pollution. It highlights that aviation's radiative forcing makes its emissions three times more damaging than ground-level CO2 and criticizes government subsidies that artificially stimulate demand. The report recommends a shift toward demand management, including the internalisation of external costs, shifting short-haul passengers to rail, and implementing strict noise and emission limits at airports.
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Document type: Policy brief
An Oil Giant Reforms: The Experience of South African Firms Doing Business in Nigeria
This report describes a research project funded by the Danish government that interviewed twenty-two South African companies in 2004 to analyze their experiences doing business in Nigeria, aiming to develop policy recommendations for a sustainable business environment in Africa.
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Document type: Report
Understanding and Regulating Arms Brokering in Southern Africa
This document is a table of contents and summary page for a workshop report titled 'Understanding and Regulating Arms Brokering in Southern Africa', which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 15 to 17 March 2004.
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Document type: Report
AGOA, Africa and Agriculture
This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs evaluates the impact of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on South African agricultural exports to the US. It argues that while AGOA has facilitated growth in specific niche agricultural products and clothing, its overall impact is limited by pre-existing low tariffs, complex rules of origin, and significant non-tariff barriers such as US agricultural subsidies and restrictive standards.
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Document type: Report
Back to the Blackboard
This executive summary from the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) argues that while Universal Primary Education (UPE) is a noble goal, it is insufficient on its own to drive Africa's economic development. The document highlights critical shortages in teacher quantity and quality, the neglect of secondary education, and the severe impact of HIV/Aids on the schooling system. It calls for a comprehensive strategy that includes increased funding, curriculum reform, and a focus on secondary education to bridge the skills gap and improve the continent's global economic competitiveness.
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Document type: Executive summary
Back to the Blackboard
The report 'Back to the Blackboard' examines the education crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that the narrow focus on Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has neglected secondary education and compromised instructional quality. It highlights systemic failures including teacher shortages, poor salaries, corruption, and the devastating impact of HIV/Aids. The document advocates for a comprehensive strategy that integrates secondary schooling, vocational training, and curriculum reform to drive economic growth, drawing lessons from East Asia's successful integration of human capital development and industrial planning.
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Document type: Report
The Landmine Factor in the Peacekeeping Debate in Africa
This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the intersection of anti-personnel landmines and the development of peacekeeping standby forces in Africa. It analyzes the operational challenges posed by landmines in irregular African conflicts, the progress of the Ottawa Convention across the continent, and the specific legislative and policy frameworks adopted by South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to combat mine proliferation.
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Document type: Research paper
Summary of Background Papers
This document summarizes three background presentations from a workshop on the relationship between children, youth, and small arms, focusing on the drivers of youth involvement in violence, the technical nature of small arms and light weapons (SALW), and the global and regional frameworks designed to combat their proliferation.
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Document type: Report
South Africa’s Defence Industry
This research paper examines the evolution of South Africa's defence industry from its growth during the apartheid era to its restructuring and reorientation toward global markets after 1994. It details the shift from state-driven self-sufficiency to a commercially focused model based on exports, international partnerships, and strategic procurement policies.
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Document type: Research paper
Cimeira Maputo/UA: Urgência de novos ventos impõe novo realismo
This situation report analyzes the transition from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU), highlighting the structural reforms intended to move beyond rhetoric toward effective intervention, political and socio-economic integration, and the inclusion of civil society.
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Document type: Report
Paz e Segurança através de Boa Governação: Um guia para o Mecanismo de Apreciação pelos Pares da NEPAD
This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) within the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and its integration with the African Union (AU). It details the APRM's organizational structure, the five-stage country review process, and the challenges of harmonizing political governance assessments with existing AU bodies like the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.
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Document type: Report
El papel que juega el Banco Europeo de Inversiones en el desarrollo
This 2003 fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International examines the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in providing development loans, particularly to Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. It argues that while the EIB is a central financial institution for the EU's relations with developing nations, it lacks a formal development strategy and fails to integrate sustainable development or poverty eradication goals into its project evaluations, which remain focused on economic and technical criteria.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Information Society and Sustainable Development
This 2003 research paper examines the linkages between the information society and sustainable development, arguing that policy coherence is needed between these two often-isolated fields. It identifies six analytical frameworks: environmental information systems (EIS), eco-efficiency and innovation, negative environmental impacts of ICT, modifying consumer demand, public participation, and poverty reduction. While highlighting benefits like dematerialization, transport efficiency, and poverty mapping, the paper warns of the 'rebound effect' and toxic waste from ICT products.
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Document type: Research paper
REPORT ON ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WORLD SUMMIT, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) during the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August and September 2002. It examines the official Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, various unofficial scientific and NGO forums, and the perceived failures of the decade following the Rio Earth Summit.
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Document type: Report
INFORME ACTIVIDADES REALIZADAS EN EL MARCO DE LA CUMBRE MUNDIAL, JOHANESSBURGO, AFRICA DEL SUR
This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August and September 2002. It outlines the IAI's participation in official sessions and alternative forums, specifically focusing on climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem monitoring.
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Document type: Report
Genetically Modified Foods in the African Context: Behind the Smokescreen of the Current Debate
This report by Jenny Clover for the Institute for Security Studies examines the debate over Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Africa, specifically within the context of a food crisis in Southern Africa in 2002. The author argues that while GM technology offers potential productive gains, it cannot solve hunger on its own because food security is a complex issue involving economic, social, and political factors. The document highlights the tension between immediate humanitarian needs for food aid and long-term concerns regarding biodiversity, multinational corporate control of seeds, and trade restrictions, particularly with the European Union.
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Document type: Report
World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) – An assessment for IISD
This briefing paper assesses the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held from 26 August to 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg. It details the resulting political declarations, implementation plans, and partnership commitments, while analyzing the political tensions between developed and developing nations regarding renewable energy targets, corporate accountability, and the role of the WTO in environmental governance.
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Document type: Briefing
Disarming Children and Youth: Raising Awareness and Addressing the Impact of Small Arms
This conference report details a workshop held in Accra, Ghana, from September 8-12, 2002, focused on the impact of small arms on children and youth. Organised by UNICEF and the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa, the event featured presentations on youth involvement in violence, the legal and technical aspects of small arms and light weapons, and the effects of war on children, while supporting the development of a UNICEF strategy for Africa.
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Document type: Report
Peace, security and democracy in Africa? A summary of outcomes from the 2002 OAU/AU summits in Durban
This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the outcomes of the 2002 summits in Durban, marking the transition from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU). It details the establishment of the AU's core governance structures, the protocol for the Peace and Security Council, and various declarations regarding democratic elections and continental development frameworks like NEPAD and CSSDCA.
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Document type: Research paper
Preliminary Comments on the Chairman’s Paper dated 9 May 2002 Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments and proposed textual amendments to the Chairman's Paper dated 9 May 2002 for the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. CIEL argues that while the draft has improved, it still lacks critical protections for human rights, community-based property rights, and rigorous regulation of biotechnology, and it fails to sufficiently address the risks associated with intellectual property rights and the liberalization of trade in services.
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Document type: Briefing